Ofsted School Inspection Reports

All Church of England dioceses and the Methodist Church use the National Society's framework for the Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005.

The framework sets out the expectations for the conduct of the Statutory Inspection of Anglican, Methodist and ecumenical Schools under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005 and provides a process for evaluating the extent to which church schools are "distinctively and recognisably Christian institutions".

SIAMS inspection focuses on the effect that the Christian ethos of the church school has on the children and young people who attend it. Church schools will employ a variety of strategies and styles, which reflect their particular local context or church tradition in order to be distinctive and effective. Inspectors will, therefore, not be looking to apply a preconceived template of what a church school should be like.

The principal objective of SIAMS inspection is to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a church school.

Towards this objective, inspectors seek answers to four key questions.

How well does the school, through its distinctive Christian character, meet the needs of all learners?

What is the impact of collective worship on the school community?

How effective is the Religious Education? (in VA schools and academies)

How effective are the leadership and management of the school as a church school?

The National Society's Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) framework is used in all Section 48 inspections of Church of England schools and in the denominational inspection of academies.